"Shane Carwin is an extremely dangerous opponent and being matched up against him is an honor," Mir said. "It'll be a great challenge to face him and get to match wits against his coaches. Greg Jackson is like the ‘Yoda' of mixed martial arts and I will need a strong gameplan heading into this fight."

Originally scheduled to face UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, No. 1 contender Shane Carwin (fighting out of Denver, Colo., 11-0) has been on a tear ever since he stepped foot into the Octagon^TM. A former national wrestling champion with dynamite in his fists, Carwin has made quick work of all three of his UFC opponents, finishing Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga within 91 seconds each. Now he takes the next step in his career against Frank Mir.

"It's an honor to not only fight for the interim UFC heavyweight title, but to do so against a respected former champion like Frank Mir," said Carwin. "This is going to be a fight to remember for the fans, and I plan on making it one of my most memorable performances as well. Beating Frank is going to be a test, but I'm confident that it's a test I will pass with flying colors."